Sumire wa Kuroi Kiri スミレは黒い霧
by Kuro No Sumire
Summary: Sesshomaru has become colder than before, ever since Rin died. What will he do when a Death God begins to follow him, how will life change? Will he give into the darkness in his heart? If you had a second chance to be with someone, would you? Sessh/Rin
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – The Special Person**

Rain poured endlessly for days, flooding some of the streets in Tokyo. It had been raining so much that some people had to close their shops due to the fact that the roads were becoming covered in potholes and ditches. Dark gray skies made their home over Tokyo while the clouds, that were now so black that it seemed as if something sinister was living in them, hid the sun away from view. The small amount of light that the sun did make however was accompanied by a symphony of lightening and thunder which seemed endless. Lightening flashed over the city, emitting a violet sheen that contrasted with the murky gray as a crackled looking white line dispersed itself throughout the sky. A few other lines followed in suit, creating a pattern across the sky as the rain beat down onto the life of the city. It was actually 8:00 in the morning but you wouldn't have known this by looking at the sky. Raven's and crows encircled the sky and perched on top of telephone lines and the tallest points of the skyscrapers as they studied the vast amount of people moving around below.

In this world, both demons and humans existed together; some humans wished they could be wiped out completely and vice versa, but this was only a small amount. In the business world, the majority of people working there were humans and/or hanyous along with a few lesser demons that worked for very powerful demons, and very rarely, humans and hanyous. The world was cold, and it had become even more so ever since these storms of darkness arrived. Days had become longer than normal, and the hours seemed to creep ever so slowly like a sloth. Sounds seemed non-existent as they were drowned out by the harsh patting of the rain as it fell from the heavens, soaking the world to its very core. This weather was unnatural and seemed to have come out of nowhere, summer had recently ended and the time for heavy rains had passed many months ago. The meteorologists were absolutely perplexed as to why the weather had changed so suddenly. They saw no warning of it and it did not make any sign that it would leave anytime soon.

"The sky will bleed violet through a barrier of smoke and a symphony of light and sound will merge together as the black mist appears and silence devours all bringing forth the Shinigami's..." said a little demon as he looked out of the large window and into the sky as he watched the world become blurred through the assault of the merciless rain. He was very short, he looked like a midget but he was indeed a full grown demon. One could've categorized him as a frog or imp demon being that his skin was as green as a toad's and that his beady eyes were large and yellow. A dirt brown kimono covered his body; kimonos were only worn by those who worked for a very powerful demon or by the powerful demons themselves; although it wasn't often that they would wear them since the times had long since changed. It did not take long for the demons to get used to the way the world had changed for they were creatures that were good at adapting. Adaptation was second nature to them for they had no intention of ever becoming extinct. Being the determined creatures that they were, they learned to accept the way the world that was filled with the very thing the majority of them despised. Humans. "Shinigami's..." the little demon repeated as he seemed somewhat confused. He then turned to look behind him, where the back of a black leather chair could be seen on the other side of the room with a tall dark figure sitting in it.

The man sat in the chair listening to the rain as it became strengthened by some unknown force. He groaned. Not because he hated this kind of weather; he absolutely relished in anything dark and foreboding. He found these things quite interesting to say in the least. The groan was emitted due to the fact that he heard the soft padding of little demon as he made his way towards his desk. Not bothering to wait for the little demon to speak first, he spoke, his voice deep and monotonous yet in some mysterious way hypnotising "What is it, Jaken?"

"My Lord...May I ask something?" replied the imp-like demon as he unconsciously ran his hands up and down a wooden staff that had the face of an old man and a woman on either side of it. He took the man's silence as a sign to continue. "Have you ever heard of the 'Violet's Black Mist'?"

"I cannot say that I have." He replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Would you like to know My Lord? It's very fascinating."

"No." He replied instantly as he turned his chair slightly to see the little demon become somewhat nervous.

"But My Lord, it would be very valuable information should you ever need it and-"

"If you are done with your bickering Jaken, then make an appointment with the Head of Takuya Industries for tomorrow at 10:00AM."

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru!" replied Jaken as he stood straight and bowed down low before running out of his office. Turning his chair around, Sesshomaru inwardly sighed as he was immediately relieved that Jaken was gone. Truth be told, he would have loved to kill that toad and would have taken great pleasure in doing so if not for the fact that he was somewhat useful to him. He sighed again, slightly annoyed by that small detail as his amber gold eyes rose to look out the glass doors that led to a balcony. Closing his eyes, he settled back into his chair and leaned his head back slightly, allowing his long silver silk-like hair to fall in front of his shoulders. Lightening flashed, brightening the dark cold room for a few seconds before quickly disappearing. It was soon followed by an encore of thunder that didn't die down until another flash of lightening appeared, brightening the room once again. But this time, the room stayed lit. Sesshomaru could smell two different scents enter the room and could see the red through his eyelids indicating that the light was extremely bright. He did not bother to open his eyes as he already knew who it was that disturbed him; he simply turned his chair in their direction as some form of acknowledgement.

"Honestly...how can you stay in an office like this!? And with no lights on!!" exclaimed the irritated squeaky voice of a woman as she walked up to his desk.

"Feh! Don't ask me wench! Like I know what my ass-hole brother is thinking!" replied the deep voice of a man as he followed behind her.

"Did the both of you come here simply to insult the arrangement of this room? Surely your lives couldn't be so meaningless that you would grace me with such foolishness. Or am I mistaken?" replied Sesshomaru as he opened his eyes to see that the woman standing in front of him was turning red from anger as she clenched her fists tight at her side.

Her hair was very dark brown and flowed over her shoulders, reaching just the tip of her waist. Her scent was that of a miko's and only increased the angrier she became. She wore a long sleeved green and white business suit. The skirt was a few inches above her knee and a dark blue tie wrapped itself around the collar of her long sleeved shirt. The cuffs were rolled up slightly, hiding her watch only 

partially and secured in place with a button. Two buttons were open at the top of her shirt, allowing her cleavage to show along with a silver chain with a rose on the end of it. Her and Inuyasha were newly weds; she was a well-known lawyer in most parts of Japan while his brother owned a series of different banks around the world. His brother looked just like him except that his hair was more ragged looking, he had dog ears on the top of his head, he was a hanyou and he did not have the same marking on his face like Sesshomaru did.

"Of course I'm insulting it! Just look at this place! It screams 'gloom and doom' everywhere you look!!" replied the woman as she pointed to different areas in the room. The walls were a dark gray while the carpeted floor was a nice sheen black. Every object in the room was black as well, his desk, his chairs, a bookshelf, picture frames that held important certificates and even the curtains. The windows had even been tinted slightly which stopped too much light from coming into the room. A white ceiling was the only thing in the room that had a different color.

"Everybody's tastes are different Kagome. Everyone's not gonna like pink and green the way you do. Especially not me or Sesshomaru." Stated Inuyasha as he took a seat in front of his brother's desk and pulled Kagome to sit down next to him.

"I know that Inuyasha. But this room just screams death. He should really think about hiring Sango to redecorate it." Replied Kagome as she folded her arms and shook her head as she let out a sigh.

"You and your woman test my patience little brother. Why are you here?" asked Sesshomaru as he glared down at the both of them.

"Father wishes for you to visit your mother."

"Why?" Sesshomaru asked, not curious in the slightest.

"You haven't spoken to her in 100 years."

"And your point is?"

"Father says you have to. He's ordering you to." Stated Inuyasha as his voice took on a serious tone.

"What is his reason for doing so when he hates the woman as much as I do?" asked Sesshomaru becoming rather annoyed that his father would order him to do such a thing.

"She's dying."

--•-•--•-•--

Standing on top of the highest sky scraper in the city, was a robed creature. Its robes were black, darker than the night itself with ancient writing going along the hem as it rose up to meet a large velvet hood that covered the creatures face. The strange being stared down at the city below it that seemed to be brimming with life and death every second. Cries of the wounded and of the newly born were audible to it as it was the creature of death. Every time someone died, someone would be born. This was essential to keep the balance of life in order. If something should ever go wrong such as 5 new lives appearing when only 3 lives disappeared, 2 more would have to be taken away immediately to keep the world from going into chaos. The being was not touched by the rain for it was not of this world. When someone died, one of its kind, a Shinigami or death god, would take the souls to the after life. When someone was born, it was an Angel who made sure they were alive when they entered the world.

Shinigami's and Angels were two completely different beings. One was a being of light and purity, while the other was a being of darkness and corruption. They would not interact with each other and it was never required for them to do so. There had been only a few records in history when an Angel and a Shinigami ever had any kind of communication. Once when 50 people had died and only 13 people had been born; the other incident is absolutely forbidden. An Angel and a Shinigami had fallen in-love. When that happened, the skies turned violet and seemed to bleed out the color uncontrollably and thus it was made that every 900 years, Shinigami's and Angels would turn human during every full moon. This caused many deaths to happen which then caused wandering spirits to appear and so began the hauntings. Shinigami's were also supposed to find spirits and take them to the after life if they ever became lost. Those spirits that were never found became ominous and were sent to hell by special Shinigami's without any warning. "The scent of death is fresh in the air...what an intriguing city." Said the Shinigami as it jumped from the tip of the sky scraper, falling towards the busy city below.

The Shinigami floated a bit before landing down on the ground in a vast amount of people that had gathered around a man who had just fainted. Someone was screaming for help as another person called 911 to get an ambulance. A large number of people had encircled the rather young man and they stared down at him as if hoping that he would wake up. The Shinigami moved through the crowd of people with ease as it could walk through anything at will. This made things easier so not to scare people by bumping into them when they could not be seen. It stopped the panic that was sure to happen and they could only be seen by people, humans and demons like, with extraordinary spiritual abilities. A transparent body-like mass began to emerge from the man's body, indicating that he had died. No one saw this except for the Shinigami. The Shinigami then held up its hand in the air and a giant black iron scythe appeared in the palm of its hand in a cloud of black smoke. The scythe had a long silver blade that reflected the light in the sky as the Shinigami slashed a random spot in the air. The air in the space that had just been slashed began to ripple until a large black void appeared.

The Shinigami then moved its other hand and a black cloud of smoke appeared, quickly disappearing to reveal a single piece of parchment paper that looked well over 50,000 years old. It was torn and burned at the edges, creating a black color that then blended into the yellow-beige of paper; brown creases could be seen going across it horizontally indicating that it had been folded a few times but the paper was still crisp, standing firm as it was held between two fingers. 'Name: Yamasaki Tsubute – Age: 30 – Cause of death: heart attack – Time: 11:57:20 – Date: September 19th, 2008 – Destination: Heaven' these words were written on the parchment in blood red, along with other records of people that were supposed to die that day. As soon as the person was sent to the afterlife, their name would disappear from the parchment and another one would appear in its place. The Shinigami extended out its hand to the man's spirit, its long sleeves still hiding its hands as it did so. The man's spirit looked somewhat scared as he looked at the black void that had now turned bright white and then back at his body that was now being taken away by two emergency medical technicians. "Do not be afraid. Your destination is a peaceful place. You will go to Heaven." Said the Shinigami as it waited for the spirit to grab its hand. Tsubute's spirit then smiled slightly and grabbed its hand as it walked into the void with him.

A few minutes later, the void reappeared and the Shinigami walked out of it. The same parchment appeared in its left hand and the Shinigami looked down at it to see the new name that had replaced Yamasaki Tsubute's own. The writing now said 'Name: Chika Mino – Age: 50' and below that read 'Name: Chika Mai – Age: 42'. The rest of the information would appear once it was time for them to die. The parchment disappeared into a cloud of smoke and the Shinigami made its way to another part of the city, waiting for these two people to die so that it could take them to Heaven or Hell.

--•-•--•-•--

Sesshomaru walked down the sidewalks of the innermost part of the city. He had a black umbrella opened up over his head; he had decided to leave work early today. It wasn't as if he had to be there for a certain amount of time although he usually stayed late. It was his company so he could leave whenever he felt like doing so. Many humans and demons were intimidated by him because he was known as being extremely cold and emotionless, but that didn't stop women from falling in-love with him. Women would become infatuated or obsessed with him after seeing him only once, and no matter how cold he was to them, they would continuously throw themselves at him with some small amount of hope that he would love them. When they realized their love would never be returned, they offered him their bodies, and he did not show them any love that way either; however, they continued. It was as if his extraordinary handsomeness put some kind of spell on the women around him. Other than his beauty, he was also wanted because he was extremely wealthy. He did not want to run his father's business like other spoilt rich children would do, he wanted to have his own source of support and income. It was beneath him to seek help from anyone. But he would not always refuse those who volunteered themselves.

"_What did that half-breed mean when he said 'that woman' was dying? She is a full blooded demon, only 700 years of age; that is not considered old for our kind, especially not for dog demons. Father is only 1200 years old but looks the same as any 30 year old human._" Thought Sesshomaru as he reached into the pocket inside his black coat and pulled out his cell phone as he began dialling his father's number. It rang three times before someone answered it. He heard the voice of Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi, answer it, sounding all bright and chirpy. It made him sick how happy she was all the time. He didn't understand how his father could stand it.

"Hello?" came Izayoi's voice from the other end of the phone.

"Get Father." Replied Sesshomaru in his usual cold stern voice as he glared at some women who were staring at him with flushed faces.

"Alright Sesshomaru." She replied, still sounding as peaceful as ever.

"Hello Sesshomaru. You asked for me?" said Inu Taisho from the other end of the phone, sounding rather happier than usual yet you could sense seriousness in his voice.

"The half-breed says you want me to visit 'that woman' because she is dying." Replied Sesshomaru as he waited impatiently for his father's response.

"Yes, she is dying son."

"How? Our kind do not perish so quickly."

"A rare virus that kills dogs. Apparently we, because we are 'dog' demons, are able to catch this virus as well."

"A mere virus that attacks dogs? How absurd."

"Apparently a priestess who hated your mother turned a dog that had the virus into a dog demon, in hopes that your mother would succumb to her pitiful desires she developed over the years. She did eventually mate with the dog and instantly became ill."

"She is even more foolish than I thought. Serves her right. A well destined fate indeed." He replied with an evil grin on his face.

"She wishes to see you one more time."

"Hnn."

"Sesshomaru…you need to let go of your anger. What your mother did to Rin was unforgivable but you cannot let your anger rule your life."

"On the contrary Father; my anger does not rule me. I simply choose to remain angry."

"It will only serve to corrupt your soul."

"My soul you say? I have no use for such trivial things." He replied as he closed his phone quickly before putting it back inside his coat.

"_No use for a soul eh My Son? When Rin died you were left with nothing but regret, guilt, sadness and bitterness. How much longer will you continue to be contaminated by the darkness in your heart?_" thought Inu no Taisho as a sad expression covered his face.

The whole conversation, especially the mentioning of Rin's name had made him become even more irritated and annoyed than he already was. He did not like to be reminded of what his mother had done to her and had asked his father who told Izayoi and Inuyasha who told Kagome, never to speak of her ever. What his mother had done to her was extremely cruel and unexpected. He and Rin had just gotten married and she quickly became pregnant. His mother, who pretended to support them, called Rin over to her house for tea because she had said she needed to speak with her about something. Sesshomaru did not think anything of it but was baffled by his mother's strange behaviour. It was after he received a phone call from one of his mother's servants that he realized he should have known better. His mother had slashed her stomach open, killing their pup instantly and left her there to go through immense pain as she lay on the ground whispering Sesshomaru's name over and over. When he got to her, it took everything he had not to destroy the place they were in, but he calmed down at the sound of her voice when she said "Sesshomaru…My Beloved…Come to me…" He walked over to her and a wave of sickness went through his body at the sight of the massive puddle of blood she lay on top of. Her breathing was slow and her heart beat was becoming faint as he leaned down on his knees and lifted her to his chest. Her blood stained his suit but he did not care, all he wanted was for her to live, but knew this was 

impossible since she had been revived twice already. It would not happen a third time. Very weakly, with her last bit of strength, she reached up to his face as a single tear fell from his eye and ran her fingers over his stripes lovingly and whispered "I love you…You have made my life worth living…and for that, I thank you…My beloved Sesshomaru…" He kissed her softly on the lips as his eyes pleaded with her not to leave him. "You must…let…me…go…" she replied as she mouthed out her last words 'I loved loving you' and took her last breath as her heart beat a few more times. "Rin…I love you too…" he whispered and watched as she died with a smile on her face. "Rin…how many years has it been since you left this world…beloved…" whispered Sesshomaru to himself as he looked up at the sky to catch a glimpse of two flashes of lightening as they hit each other repeatedly, as if battling over that part of the sky.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the loud screams of women coming from his left. Slightly intrigued by the noise, he turned his attention in the direction the screams were coming from and saw a large gas truck crash into a building before bursting into flames a few minutes later; killing about 12 people and injuring 40. His eyes seemed to blaze like the fire he watched as he became entranced by the bright orange and red dancing flames. A black figure emerged from the flames slowly and came to a stop in the middle of the road. He raised an eyebrow; surely someone couldn't have survived an accident like this. He watched as the cloaked hooded figure walked over the dead bodies at an eerie slow pace. The next thing he saw fascinated him to no end. The souls of the ones who had died were emerging from their bodies and he watched as the mysterious creature held up its hands and a large sheet of parchment and a scythe appeared in each one. He then wondered if anyone else saw this but then his question was answered as he watched two people run right through the creature. If he hadn't been so composed, his mouth would have surely fallen open at the sight of the odd thing that was happening. He watched as the hooded creature slashed the air and a void appeared. The creature seemed to be reading the parchment paper before acknowledging 10 of the people and turned to look at the void which was now shining so brightly that Sesshomaru had to squint his eyes to see what was happening. The creature walked into the void with all of them and it disappeared for a few seconds before reappearing again and the creature walked out of it. He then watched as the creature slit a random part in the air again and if it weren't for his demon hearing he would have never heard what it said "Torture awaits the both of you. You are a disgrace to your kind." "_A female…_" thought Sesshomaru after hearing the Shinigami's voice. The creature pushed them into the void that emitted black and red flames from inside it and Sesshomaru watched as it closed and the creature looked at the paper in its left hand again before looking up. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought it looked straight at him. He blinked and the creature was gone. Jaken's words then came flowing into his mind "_The sky will bleed violet through a barrier of smoke and a symphony of light and sound will merge together as the black mist appears and silence devours all bringing forth the Shinigami's._" He stood still, watching the spot where the female Shinigami had just been no more than a few seconds ago. "_Hnn. Ridiculous._" He thought as he continued to walk down the dark streets of the city.

--•-•--•-•--

The Shinigami reappeared, sitting on the edge of a building, staring down at the people below as they continued to help the injured people into ambulances. "_That man…did he see me?_" thought the female Shinigami as she watched the rain fall through her fingers as she took on a physical form. She then sighed and held out her hand, watching as the parchment appeared in between two of her fingers in a cloud of smoke. The rain hit the paper but it did not become soaked. Twelve names had disappeared and twelve new ones had appeared in their places. Just as she was about to read the names of the new victims, something appeared behind her. "What do you want Ayame?" she asked as she stood up on the edge of the building to face the other Shinigami.

"Is that any way to speak to your friend?" replied the Shinigami named Ayame as she folded her arms and hovered over the ground beneath her.

"It is when I outrank you. What do you want?"

"That may be true but I'm much older than you."

"That is not relevant. What do you want Ayame-Chan? I'm busy."

"I came to inform you that a special name should have appeared on your list." Replied Ayame, sounding rather pleased with herself.

"Well you interrupted me just as I was about to read it."

"Oops. Hehehe…Sorry! What's the name? Look!"

"Name: Sesshomaru – Age: 547 – Inugami Daiyoukai." She replied as she read the writing out loud. It wasn't in blood red like the rest; it was a shimmery sapphire blue. "So I have to find him huh…It's been a while since I've followed anyone."

"Well good luck! I need to get back to work as well."

"Ayame…"

"Yeah?" she replied just as she was about to leave.

"Umm…It's nothing. Forget it."

"Alright then. Hope you find your special person." Replied Ayame as she disappeared; a void eating her body as it made a small 'zip' noise. The female Shinigami then looked around at her surroundings as slowly spun around on the tip of her toes. She sighed before jumping off of the building before disappearing in midair.

--•-•--•-•--

"Hey…Inuyasha?" said Kagome as she rolled over and wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's waist.

"What is it Kagome?" replied Inuyasha, rather sheepishly as he unconsciously played with her hair.

"Do you think Sesshomaru is going to be ok?"

"Why would I care about how that asshole feels?"

"Because he's your brother, whether you like it or not."

"Feh!"

"And because his mother wants to see him? And you know what she did to Rin…"

"If Sesshomaru kills her before the illness does then I don't blame him." Snapped Inuyasha as he slid up into a sitting position and folded his arms.

"Neither do I…Do you think…"

"Do I think what Kagome?"

"Do you think your brother will ever find love again?"

"Honestly…I don't know but he's going to destroy himself by holding all of his pain inside."

"Well I hope he does find love again." She replied as she moved his arm up and snuggled into his chest while wrapping his arm around her.

"You know he didn't even cry at Rin's funeral."

"Yes he did Inuyasha…"

"How do you know that wench?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I saw him…"

"You saw him!? Why are you telling me this now??" exclaimed Inuyasha as his eyes widened from shock.

"He asked me not to tell anyone. I kind of followed him because I was worried and he was so depressed that he didn't even realize I had followed him."

"I see. Man…Dad and I haven't even seen him cry before…"

"I've never seen him or any other person so broken down Inuyasha. His soul is so trapped…Because of my Miko powers I even ended up crying because I could feel what he was feeling. I don't think I've ever felt so much pain and suffering coming from one person before…" she stated as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Well the both of you were the ones most affected by it…not to mention Kaede and Sango…"

"She was my little sister Inuyasha, Sango's best friend and Kaede's grand daughter…she was so young…" she replied as a few tears fell from her eyes.

"Yeah…" he said as he reached a hand up to wipe the tears away from her cheeks.

"Even though other people think he's heartless, they are wrong. They have no idea what he's had to go through…"

"Nikko doesn't even go through as much as he does since she was only 3 at the time…"

"He cared about and loved my sister more than anyone…He deserves to be happy."

"Yeah…that asshole does deserve to be happy…he does." He said as he slowly closed his eyes.

--•-•--•-•--

"_Hmmm…It seems that this man named Sesshomaru is not home as yet._" Thought the Shinigami as she looked inside his house through the glass doors on the balcony. She put her hands on the glass before walking through it. Folding her arms, she began to explore the large penthouse apartment. Large was an understatement; you had to have a lot of money to afford something this nice. Every single thing in his house was black except for the walls which were off-white. Now Shinigami's loved dark things along with the color black but this was a bit too much. She was about to walk into the living room when she heard a strange high pitched noise. She wondered how she hadn't noticed the aura's of other people before but then realized that there was a barrier around the room. The sound she had heard had been that of a child's laughter. Looking around the corner, she found an old lady and a little girl drinking cocoa as they sat in front of the fireplace that had a blazing fire going.

"Grandma Kaede you're so funny!" exclaimed the little girl as she used a spoon to scoop some marshmallows from out of her cocoa and popped them into her mouth.

"Thou needs to go to sleep little one. Ye father will be home soon and he would expect ye to be in bed fast asleep." Replied the old woman named Kaede as she looked at the fire and watched small flames flicker as they sent tiny puffs of smoke into the chimney.

"But I want to see daddy. Ever since mommy died I never get to see him anymore. I don't remember what she looked like because I was only 3 when mommy died, but I don't want to forget what daddy looks like either!"

"Nikko…Lord Sesshomaru will not approve of this."

"Plllleeeeeeaaaaaasssssseeee!?" she asked as she poked out her bottom lip and put on her puppy dog face.

"Alright little one…"

"Thank you Grandma Kaede!" exclaimed Nikko as she quickly placed down her mug of cocoa and ran over to Kaede, trapping her in a big hug. "He tries to stay away because ye look so much like ye deceased mother…my grand daughter…" thought Kaede as she hugged the little girl. A loud buzzing noise was heard over the intercom that was by the front door of the house. Kaede got up quickly and pressed the button as she said "Lord Sesshomaru?" "You may leave now Kaede." Replied Sesshomaru in his cold voice from the other end of the intercom. Kaede nodded, even though he could not see her and called for Nikko, telling her to come. "Are ye sure ye want to do this little one?" asked Kaede even though she already knew the little girl's answer. "Yes! I'm sure!" replied Nikko with a large bright smile plastered on her face that went from ear to ear.

The Shinigami then watched as the old woman sighed and hugged the child. Kaede then looked up and her face became pale as she looked directly into the Shinigami's eyes. "_She can see me as well? How amusing._" Thought the Shinigami as she watched the old woman place a bracelet charm around the little girl's wrist. "_Does she think those kind of things will work on my kind?_" thought the Shinigami as she raised her eyebrows and listened to what the little girl was saying "What is this silver bracelet for Kaede?" "It's for protection against dark spirits. Never take it off." Replied the old lady as she patted the girl on the head and left the apartment. The little girl locked the door immediately and stood in front of the door, patiently awaiting her father's arrival.

A few seconds later, the little girl seemed to pick to perk up considerably and the Shinigami realized why after detecting a demonic aura coming closer. "_Now…I finally get to see who this Sesshomaru is._" Thought the Shinigami as she stood a good distance away from the little girl in a dark hallway. Soft footsteps could be heard and then the sound of keys as the doorknob turned and opened to reveal an extremely handsome man with long silver hair that stopped at his ankles; golden amber hypnotising eyes, magenta stripes on either side of his face and a dark blue crescent moon in the middle of his forehead. "_This man…he was the one who saw me earlier today…_" thought the Shinigami as she began t find it hard for herself to take her eyes off of him. It was as if she had been placed under a spell by his very being.

Sesshomaru glanced around briefly, noticing that the same cloaked figure he had seen earlier that day was hidden in the shadows, but ceased from doing anything so that he would not alert his daughter who was beaming up at him, smiling brightly with a gap in her mouth; indicating she had just lost a tooth. He felt calm but also very sad when he looked at her because she looked and reminded him so much of her mother. Her hair was long like his, stopping at her ankles, but was extremely dark brown almost black in color with tinges of silver at its ends. A set of large round hazel brown eyes stared up at him, showing so much love and warmth in their depths, along with a tiny sparkle of gold. She had the same exact smile like her mothers and the same markings as him, except that her crescent moon was accompanied by a small golden star. Her mother had a golden star in the middle of her forehead but it was the same size as Sesshomaru's crescent moon; she had received it after he had made her his mate.

He watched as she walked up to him and hugged him, reaching him right below his hips so she was basically only hugging his legs. She was quite tiny for an 8 year old but was very smart and powerful like her father. He rested his hand her on the head and watched as she let go before taking his umbrella from him and putting it into the small closet that was to her right; she then began running back to him and hugged him again. "_So much like her mother…_" he thought as he picked her up in his arms and smiled as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and kissed his cheek over and over, as if trying to leave some kind of mark there. He glared at the Shinigami that lurked in the shadows, his eyes flickering to red for a slight moment before going back to their normal cold state as he walked pass her and into another room. "_Crap…he can see me…_" thought the Shinigami as she disappeared in a void like the one Ayame had disappeared in.

He sat down on Nikko's bed with his back against the headboard as he drew random patterns on her back with his fingers. She giggled slightly before wrapping her arms around his chest and nuzzling her 

face into his shirt. "I missed you daddy!" she exclaimed as she also began drawing random designs on his chest with her tiny fingers. He responded by kissing her on her forehead and closed his eyes as he let out a sigh. "Daddy?" she asked as she looked up at him; curiosity clearly evident in her large innocent eyes. He did not respond as he seemed to be deep in thought. She turned her head to face his as she inspected him, trying to figure out whether or not he was awake. Her eyebrows ruffled together and she brought her face inches away from his as her eyes grew bigger and bigger by the second. She nearly jumped up when his eyes suddenly flicked open to look at her.

"This Sesshomaru was not sleeping Nikko." he replied answering her unspoken question.

"Oh I see. I thought so. Daddy?"

"What is it?"

"I think Grandma Kaede is going senile."

"What makes you assume this?"

"She gave me this bracelet and told me never to take it off because it keeps dark spirits away from me." She replied as she pointed to the silver bracelet on her wrist.

"I see. Keep it on then."

"OK!"

"Nikko." He asked, suddenly wondering why she was up at this hour of the night.

"Yes daddy?"

"Why were you not asleep when I came home?"

"I wanted to see you. You don't spend time with me anymore." She replied as she fidgeted with a button on his shirt.

"You have school tomorrow morning."

"No I don't daddy. If you spent more time with me then you'd realize that I have a whole week off because they need to renovate the classrooms. They have become flooded."

"I see. I'm sorry that I haven't had time to see you." He said after realizing how hurt she was because of his carelessness.

"Its ok daddy…I've already lost mommy. I don't want to lose you too." She said as she put her tiny hands on his cheeks and smiled at him before wrapping her little arms around his neck and hugging him.

"I'm…sorry Nikko…" he said as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. A few minutes later, she had fallen asleep on him and was making tiny cute snoring noises as she unconsciously gripped onto his collar. He released her hold from around his neck, careful not to wake her as he placed her into her bed 

and pulled the sheets over her. Before he could walk away, she grabbed his finger and said "I love you daddy…" He smiled slightly and whispered "And I you Nikko…" After he turned off her lights, he walked out of her room, closing the door slightly after leaving the hall light on. She was afraid of the dark and had asked him countless numbers of times to leave the light on for her. His whole demeanour seemed to change as he remembered that strange being he kept seeing as he walked down the hall and into the living room. "Why do you follow me?" he asked as he poured himself some sake and drank it in one gulp. "_So he already senses me even though I have hidden myself._" Thought the Shinigami as she appeared in front of him with her arms folded as she said "I follow only those that must die and those who have some strong relation to the person who must die. It is on rare occasion that I follow those with relations to the spirits assigned to me. I do not follow you because I want to; I do so because I must."

"And under what circumstances MUST you follow the one who has a relation to the death victim?"

"When that victim tries to cheat death."

"Interesting. My mother is trying to stay alive. How pathetic."

"Indeed."

"May I inquire of you as to how she has tried to cheat death?"

"By using demon magic. It is quite effective but only for a certain period of time. And because she is rather persistent, your name has now replaced hers on the list." She replied as the list appeared in her left hand and she handed it over to him for him to see it.

"I must die in her place?"

"No. You must take me to her directly."

"I will do no such thing." He replied immediately and let out a low warning growl.

"Is that so?" as she disappeared in the blink of an eye and appeared in front of him with her scythe in her hand, aiming it at his throat; but she was quickly thrown into the wall as he gripped her around her throat. He stared at her icily, a low growl emanating from his throat as he watched her. He couldn't sense any sign of fear from her and she did not struggle to break free from his hold. Suddenly she began laughing, a beautiful laugh that he did not think a Shinigami would have. Her arm slowly moved up as she wrapped her pale slender hand around his wrist. He could feel nothing but coldness coming from her and she did not seem to have a pulse. "Do you honestly think you can kill me demon!? I'M ALREADY DEAD!!" she exclaimed as she continued to laugh and watched as his face still showed no emotion. "She's already dead. That explains why I feel no pulse from her." He thought as he stared at her face, even though he could not see it due to the large amount of darkness around her face that her hooded cloak caused. He watched as she suddenly disappeared from his grasp and seemed to vanish out of thin air. "_I cannot detect her aura now…how…behind!_" he thought as he suddenly felt her aura appear behind him and deflected her scythe with his whip of light just as she was about to attack him. "_How is it possible that he hit me? Demons are not supposed to have this kind of ability._" She thought extremely shocked as she felt a wet liquid slide down her cheek as she looked around the room and brought her hand up to her face. "_Ah. It is because of that sword, Tenseiga. It is pulsing. Those who own it have spiritual abilities beyond our understanding._" She thought again as she rubbed the blood from her cheek and felt her hood which was now slashed, fall onto her shoulders. He smirked slightly as he thought "_So I can harm her._" He soon became frozen as he stared into her eyes that seemed to suck the very essence out of his soul.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors Notes:** Hello everyone! Thank you for reading, but I will not update this particular story unless i get reviews. And seeing that I haven't gotten any, it will be a very long time before I update it again. Also, i'm in college so I'm busy. I hope you are enjoying the story thus far._

* * *

**Chapter Two – The Condition**

"Hey, Grandma Kaede?" asked Nikko as she picked up a few pieces of bacon and began breaking them on top of her scrambled eggs. It was 8:34 in the morning and the dark clouds covered up most of the sunlight that would usually be shining brightly.

"What is it child?" replied Kaede as she ate a few grapes that were piled on top of her plate.

"Why was daddy sleeping on the floor of the living room like that?"

"I do not know. It is quite strange though."

"Indeed. Daddy is usually more reserved than that."

"Yes. He is." She agreed as she sipped some oolong tea.

Sesshomaru woke up to the sound of Nikko's and Kaede's voices coming from the kitchen and to the smell of bacon and eggs. His eyes stayed closed as he realized where he was. "_Why am I laying on the floor...The last thing I remember is fighting that Shinigami and then everything became dark._" He thought as he slowly moved into a sitting position with his back resting against a couch. He then opened his eyes to see that the Shinigami was standing a few feet away from him with her arms folded, leaning up against a wall. Her hood was no longer slashed either and was back over her head. "Awake. Finally. Sorry about doing that to you." She said as she tilted her head at an angle. "_What does she mean she's sorry about what she did?_" he thought as he continued to stare at the black cloaked figure in front of him. She walked up to him and seemed to be looking down at him as she said "Ah yes. You don't know what I did. Let me explain. When you hit me with your whip of light, the eyes of death were shown to you instead of my appearance. It happens when Shinigami's are in danger, no matter how small the threat. The eyes of death can either kill you, or render you unconscious as you have noticed. Lucky for you it didn't kill you."

"I see. Interesting." He said as he stood up but quickly sat back down, this time on the couch; he felt dizzy from what the death eyes had done to him.

"Yes. Now about your mother. I-"

"Daddy! You're awake!" exclaimed Nikko as she suddenly ran into the room, holding a piece of toast in her hand as she jumped onto Sesshomaru's lap, hugging him in the process "Why were you sleeping on the floor daddy?" Sesshomaru looked from Nikko to the Shinigami and glared at her, wordlessly telling it to go away. The Shinigami glared back at him with the same intensity, blatantly defying him. "Daddy? What are you looking at?" Nikko asked as she turned her head around. She then squealed and jumped off of Sesshomaru's lap as she walked up to the Shinigami, not showing any sign of fear whatsoever. "Are you a Shinigami perhaps?" she asked as she stared up at the Shinigami, her eyes large and bright with curiosity. "_So…she can see her as well._" Thought Sesshomaru as he watched Nikko begin to poke the sides of the Shinigami as she walked around it in circles, expecting it thoroughly. The Shinigami was rather surprised that this little girl could also see her, but realized she probably got her ability from her father. "Yes I am a Shinigami. You are called Nikko, correct?" replied the Shinigami as she leaned down 

to Nikko's level to look her in the face. She wondered why she was so calm around her. Any other child would have run off screaming after seeing a Death God.

"Yes! My name's Nikko! Nice to meet you Shinigami-san!" replied Nikko with a bright smile on her face as she hugged the Shinigami around her legs.

"Nikko. How do you know about Shinigami's?" asked Sesshomaru as he raised an eyebrow at his daughter. He had never told her for he hadn't believed they existed until now.

"Jaken told me! He was going on and on about Shinigami's and something about the 'Violet's Black Mist' but I think he was just trying to scare me."

"Hnn. I see." He replied as he frowned from what she had told him. "_Trying to scare my daughter as well Jaken? Your foolishness will never cease._" He thought as he made a mental note to punish the little imp-like demon later.

"The Violet's Black Mist. It is quite the phenomenon. What does a little girl like you know about this?" asked the Shinigami as she was fascinated by how smart the child was.

"Well Jaken only knew this little phrase about it so I looked it up while I was at school. It stated that because of the forbidden love between and angel and a demon, every 10,000 years, the Violet's Black Mist appears and the Shinigami's as well as the Angel's will become human on every night that there's a full moon." Replied Nikko as she walked back over to Sesshomaru and sat next to him.

"Very well informed."

"Will you turn into a human as well?"

"Yes. Unfortunately." She replied and let out a sigh.

"I can't wait to see what you look like."

"I could actually show you now if you'd like. I look the same but I won't be human of course though."

"Oh really!? Can you please?" asked Nikko as she clasped her hands together and looked up at the Shinigami, only to realize that Sesshomaru got up and began walking off into the hall "Daddy? Don't you want to see what Shinigami-san looks like?"

"Hnn." Replied Sesshomaru as he walked into his room and slammed the door behind him.

"Daddy's not really a morning person."

"You could say that again." Stated the Shinigami as she pulled her hood down to her shoulders and flicked her hair to the side. Nikko's eyes seemed to sparkle as they stared at her. The Shinigami had long dark brown wavy hair that's length was unknown due to the cloak she had on, but it seemed to be very long. Her face held no expression, much like Sesshomaru's, but she was very beautiful nonetheless. Her eyes were large and wide, dark hazel in color and long black luscious eyelashes accompanied them, giving them a mysterious look. Her lips were a pale pink, and so were her cheeks, but it contrasted nicely 

with the soft creaminess of her skin. "You're beautiful Shinigami-san!" exclaimed Nikko as she showed a toothy grin that went from ear to ear. The Shinigami blinked once before pulling her hood back over her head and folded her arms. "Nikko, who are you talking to?" asked Kaede as she walked into the room and stared at the young child to find her staring off into space with her chin propped up in her hands as she smiled brightly. Nikko looked over at the old woman and said "My new friend!" "_Why can she not see me now?...Hmm…I must've been in my physical form when she saw me the first time…_" thought the Shinigami as she watched a confused look appear on the old woman's face.

--•-•--•-•--

Sesshomaru sat down at his desk signing contracts and different documents while Jaken stood next to him and collected the finished documents from him. Although he was working, he was paying close attention to Nikko who was at the other side of his office, bombarding the Shinigami with questions. She had persuaded him to let her go to work with him. She was just like her mother that way; getting him to do whatever she wanted of him with her immense cuteness and innocence. He couldn't understand how he could be swayed by her so easily. "My Lord…who or what is Nikko talking to?" asked Jaken as he watched Nikko look up at a blank spot above her. Sesshomaru ignored the little imp as he continued to go through piles of papers, quickly reading them and signing them with no effort at all. He watched as the Shinigami hovered back and forth on the ground as she explained things to his daughter. She didn't seem annoyed by all the questions; rather it was that she was intrigued at how much she wanted to know.

"How does one become a Shinigami?" Nikko asked as she looked up at the Shinigami with curiosity in her eyes.

"For someone to become a Shinigami, one must die first and then be chosen by the Great One."

"The Great One??"

"In other words, God." Replied the Shinigami as she motioned towards the heavens.

"Oh I see. What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"Dying." Asked Nikko as she waited patiently for the Shinigami to respond. Sesshomaru looked up from his work to Nikko and the Shinigami who looked a bit shocked by her answer even though you couldn't see her facial expressions.

"I only remember the feeling of pain. Great pain and then numbness. After that, everything goes white. And before I knew it, I had become a Shinigami instead of going to heaven."

"How do they choose Shinigami's? Are all of you human? Can a demon or a hanyou be a Shinigami as well?"

"My, my! So many questions! I am not entirely sure how Shinigami's are chosen. Yes they can. Why do you think that I was human?"

"Because I have a feeling in here." Replied Nikko as she motioned towards her heart.

"I see. That's called faith."

"Faith? What is faith?"

"To believe in something without any logical proof." Replied the Shinigami as she placed a hand over her heart.

"I see. How old are you Shinigami-san?" asked Nikko as she tilted her head slightly and popped a piece of chocolate filled with strawberry crème into her mouth.

"I'm 555 years old."

"You're almost as old as daddy!!"

"Yes he is an old geezer isn't he?" replied the Shinigami as she let out a loud beautiful laugh that filled the whole room. Sesshomaru was about to retaliate but stopped as soon as he heard her sweet laughter. For some reason he became speechless. Jaken shivered and breathed out, noticing that the room had become rather cold after hearing the sound of laughter that seemed to come from nowhere. "My Lord…did you turn up the AC? And did you hear that!?" asked Jaken as he felt shivers go up his spine. Sesshomaru ignored the demon and when he realized he was staring at the little scene going on between his daughter and the Shinigami, he continued reading over his documents.

After a few hours, all became silent as Nikko had fallen asleep on top of one of the leather couches on the other side of the room and the Shinigami seemed to be watching her sleep. "_Doesn't she have souls to send off to the netherworld?_" thought Sesshomaru as he became slightly annoyed by the Shinigami's presence. The Shinigami had yet to speak to him once since she was there but he was bothered nonetheless. "_Perhaps it is because I am not use to being around these kinds of beings._" He thought as he watched her reach her hand down to move a piece of hair out of Nikko's face. He then raised his head up after noticing that she was now standing, well, in his desk (as in she walked into it and was literally standing in the middle of it) and glared in her direction before asking "What do you want? Can you not see that I am busy?"

"Busy doing what? Watching me while I watch your daughter? I will not harm her if that is what's troubling you. It is not her time to die. I simply find her very interesting to say the least." Replied the Shinigami as she folded her arms and looked down at him.

"I did not think you would harm her. Don't you have pathetic beings to take to the netherworld, or whatever it is that you refer to the afterlife as?"

"Indeed I do. I have been doing this."

"Do not take this Sesshomaru for a fool. You have not left this office once. You've been talking to Nikko the entire time."

"Why must you think so limitedly? During certain times, I was not here."

"Elaborate." He said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Shinigami's can move through time without being noticed. I can go do something that would, in normal time, take 30 minutes to do within a few nano seconds."

"How is it that this Sesshomaru did not sense your movements?"

"I will explain once more. We are able to do this through frozen moments. By freezing time, we can even travel to the past and stay there for 100 years if we so choose; this is equal to about 10 seconds. Time in the future stops for a few seconds every time a Shinigami does this. You and humans as well as hanyous are unaware of this. Angels are also able to do this. This type of ability causes us to age faster of course." She replied as she walked away from him to sit in a chair across from him on the other side of his desk.

"That's quite interesting."

"Isn't it though. Shall I demonstrate?"

"You may if you so choose." He replied trying to hide his immense feelings of curiosity that were becoming stronger by each second. His eyes widened as he blinked to find the arrangement of the couches in different positions, now facing the glass. The Shinigami hadn't moved a millimetre and was still where she was before with her arms folded. He looked back again to see that the furniture was back in place and that the Shinigami was now sitting on one of the couches next to Nikko. A small yawn was heard as Nikko stretched her arms and moved around in her sleep. She unconsciously grabbed onto the Shinigami's arm and muttered the word 'Mommy' in her sleep. "Where is your wife? I have noticed that she is not around. Is she dead?" asked the Shinigami as she patted Nikko on the head. Sesshomaru was rather disturbed by this question for he did not like to talk about his dead wife. But for some reason, he responded.

"Shouldn't you know the answer to that? You are a death god, correct." He replied as he glared in her direction.

"Every Shinigami is assigned to different people; I was not the Shinigami that took your wife to the afterlife."

"I see." He said as he became enveloped in a feeling of sadness. He had hoped to hear of some information about where Rin had been sent to. But it seemed as if God would not even let him have that much. Ever since the Shinigami had appeared, his thoughts were filled with images of Rin's death and it continued to replay in his mind over and over. It was eating away at him and he wasn't sure if he could stand putting on a cold demeanour anymore.

"I am sure that wherever your wife is, she is in a much better place. Heaven."

"What makes you assume she went to Heaven?"

"Someone who loved YOU must have had a very caring and compassionate spirit indeed." She replied as she twirled a piece of Nikko's hair between her fingers.

"I have come to a decision."

"What is your decision Inugami Daiyoukai?"

"I will take you to see my mother. However, I have one condition." He replied as he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"A condition hmm? Very well. What might that be?" she asked rather pleased that she could now complete her task.

"Give me my wife and my unborn child back to me."

--•-•--•-•--

_Nikko ran away from her father and into the fields looking for her mother. Sesshomaru watched as she jumped up and down, seeming to bounce as if she had springs in her feet; he listened to the high pitched giggles she made as the small tufts of grass tickled her between her toes. He smiled and then averted his eyes to a beautiful young woman who was lying down in the very middle of all these flowers, pretending to be asleep, but she was just relishing in the beauty around her. This woman had somehow found a way to make him care only for her and have feelings he didn't think he was possible of having. He wanted to protect her with all that he had; her and his daughter. His daughter was the second most wonderful thing she had given him and he loved her unconditionally despite the fact that she was a hanyou. He cherished her greatly, but he cherished this woman's love even more. The sounds of Nikko's voice broke him out of his thoughts as she began calling for her mommy; he decided to watch her to see if she did as he told her._

'_Mommy! Mommy!' exclaimed a 3 year old Nikko as she ran through a large field of white and yellow lilies 'Where are you?!' The little child smiled as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. Her shoulder length hair blowing furiously in the wind as it took on a frizzy appearance. Nikko smiled as she thought 'Maybe Nikko can copy daddy and move fast like he does.' She ran a bit more before looking around and saying 'Mommy!?' A large toothy grin appeared on her face as she noticed that a beautiful woman was lying on her back in the middle of all the flowers. 'Nikko will try to copy daddy now.' She thought as she disappeared, leaving behind after images before appearing at the young woman's side. The young woman shot up into a sitting position, a bit startled by Nikko suddenly appearing like that. A surprised expression appeared on the young woman's face as she stared at the little girl with curiosity in her eyes as she said 'Where did you learn how to do that Nikko?' Her voice sounded so sweet and peaceful, and was filled with a large amount of happiness._

'_Nikko saw daddy do it one day and she wanted to see if she could do it too!' replied Nikko as she rocked back and forth, quite pleased with herself._

'_Is that so? You did very well!'_

'_Thank you mommy! Did Nikko surprise you?'_

'_Yes Nikko. You certainly did!'_

'_Is mommy proud of Nikko?' she asked as she tilted her head to the side._

'_I'm very proud of you. I'm so proud of you that I have a reward for you.' She replied as she made a 'come here' gesture with her index finger._

'_A reward!? What is it mommy?'_

'_Your reward is…A Festival of Tickles!!' she exclaimed as she pulled the little girl into her lap and tortured her by tickling her all over her little tummy. Nikko's cheerful laughter could be heard all over the field as her mommy continued to tickle her. 'Did my little girl like her reward?' she asked as she kissed her on both of her cheeks._

'_Nikko loved her reward!' replied Nikko as she let out a sigh while the young woman began playing with her hair 'What are you doing to my hair mommy?'_

'_I'm putting it into the same style I wore my hair in when I was a child. Do you like it sweetheart?' she asked as she handed her a small mirror that was inside her shirt pocket._

'_Nikko loves it! Now she can look more like mommy!' she replied as she felt the tiny ponytail that was now sticking out at the side of her head. It was being held in place by a few white lilies her mommy had entwined together._

'_I'm so happy that my little ball of sunshine is happy!'_

'_Mommy. Will I always be your little ball of sunshine?'_

'_Always and forever sweetheart.' She replied as she smiled down at her daughter and pulled her into her arms, hugging her tightly._

'_Mommy, I forgot to give you something.'_

'_You have something for me? What is it?'_

'_Here. Someone special asked me to give it to you!' replied Nikki as she began giggling and pulled something from out of her pocket. She watched as her mother held out her hand, and she dropped the small item into her palm and watched as she brought the item to her face. It was a silver chain that had a small metallic blue crescent moon hanging from it and it seemed to change from metallic blue to gold and from gold to silver as the light reflected off of it. The woman smiled and closed her hand around it before kissing her daughter on the forehead and getting up to walk towards the tree where Sesshomaru stood._

_Sesshomaru stood leaning up against a tree as his mate approached him. Her wonderful scent of Jasmine and powder bombarded his senses making him unable to stay in deep thought. He didn't mind the interruption as long as she was the one doing it. He opened his eyes to stare down at the young woman _

_in front of him; just the sight of her and the way she smiled at him made his heart beat faster. He would fall in-love with her all over again every time he saw her and even more so when he heard her speak. The sound of her voice made him feel unworthy of her and her love for him. She deserved someone much better, someone not so cold, someone who could- 'Sesshomaru. Cease your thoughts of insecurity My Beloved. It does not suit you.' She said as she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him._

'_Rin. Did our daughter give you the gift?' he asked as he tried to hide his surprise at how she always knew what he was thinking._

'_Yes she did. It's wonderful. I love it, thank you.' She said as she smiled and handed him the necklace before turning around and moving her hair so that he could put it on her._

'_This Sesshomaru is pleased that you are happy with it.'_

'_Beloved…you spoil me.'_

'_Do you not wish to be spoiled?' he asked as he spun her around to him and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly._

'_I wish for only one thing.'_

'_What is your wish Rin, My Beloved?'_

'_To stay in your arms this way forever…' she whispered as she tilted her head up as he met her lips with a soft passionate kiss._

Golden eyes flickered open to look around the room which was pitch black. Sesshomaru stared up at the ceiling and waited as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. It didn't take long for this to happen; being that he was a demon. He sat up in his bed and looked around the room as he slowly realized where he was. "_It was a dream…but this time it was not one of her death. Why am I beginning to have dreams of when she was alive…_" he thought as he moved his legs over the side of the bed and turned the lamp on before placing his elbows on his knees and resting his face in his clawed hands. He let out a long sigh and then turned his head towards his door when he noticed that it was being pushed open.

Nikko walked in, rubbing one of her eyes as a yawn escaped her mouth. She wore a long pale pink sleeping kimono with white and yellow flowers all over it; it covered her feet as it dragged onto the ground. She seemed to be dragging a lavender colored blanket that had a golden sun on it with her along the floor as she made her way to Sesshomaru. He lifted his face from his hands, somewhat amused, as he watched her stop in front of him and crawl onto his lap. She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck as she rested her head onto his bare chest and made tiny 'Ahhh…' sounds as she got comfy. He smiled a bit and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist as he leaned back onto his bed with his head on the pillows and closed his eyes as he said "What caused you to wake up Nikko?"

"A dream that I had." She replied as she placed her ear directly over his heart. The sound of his heart made her feel so relaxed and content. To her, the sound of his heartbeat was the best sound in the world.

"I also woke up because of a dream."

"What did you dream about daddy?"

"Your…mother…"

"So did I! I dreamt that I was running through a beautiful field of flowers to give her something. I don't remember what she looked like though."

"I see. I also had the same dream." He replied as he let out a sigh and closed his eyes.

"You did!? Was mommy beautiful?"

"Yes she was, and was often mistaken as a goddess for her beauty."

"Daddy I was wondering…" she said as she played with a piece of his silver hair that was lying over his chest.

"What is it?"

"Do I look like mommy?"

"You're the exact replica of your mother Nikko. You have the same smile and love for life and cheeriness as she did." He replied as he kissed her forehead and reached his right arm to the side and turned off the light.

"That makes me happy. And I'm even happier that I have you as a daddy. I love you."

"This Sesshomaru loves you as well Nikko."

"I know daddy giggles Night-Night!"

"Goodnight Nikko." He said as he wrapped both of his arms around her before drifting off into a deep sleep.

--•-•--•-•--

"_I understand that he is in a great deal of pain ever since he lost his wife but it is not possible for me to bring her back. I should not have accepted his condition before I knew what it was. Perhaps if I tell him I can not bring his wife and unborn child back but let him see her spirit….maybe he will….no. What am I thinking? He is far too stubborn to agree to something like that. Since when have I thought about a mere demon so much that I've begun to analyze him? Fine. I will find a Shinigami who knows something about his wife and if they don't know then I'll have them find out for me. Then they can bring her back if it's possible for them to do so._" Thought the Shinigami as she sat on the ceiling and rubbed her chin "_I guess I didn't expect him to ask for something like that. She must've been very important to him…_" She hovered down from the ceiling and walked through the doors that led to the balcony as she looked up at the sky. The rain seemed endless. It wasn't as heavy as it was before but it still made no sign that it was 

going to stop. "_I wonder when that Inugami is going to wake up. I need to tell him of what I intend to do._" She thought again as she let her hood fall and looked up to the heavens as she took on a physical form; the rain falling down the sides of her face giving her the appearance that she was crying. "What's it like to cry…I wonder…" she whispered as she then changed back into her spiritual form.

She was about to go back inside when she felt a presence appear behind her that caused her to turn around. There, on the railing of the balcony, stood two Shinigami's as they stared down at her. They jumped down, landing softly onto the ground next to her as they stood in front of her. "I brought him just as you asked me to." Said the Shinigami on the left as he lowered his hood and looked at the female Shinigami in front of him. He looked very young, around 20 years old and long raven colored silky hair fell down his shoulders; it's length being unknown due to the long cloak they wore. His eyes were hidden completely by his long silky bangs that flowed out sideways. He was also very tall, around 6 feet to be exact.

"Thank you Kyōzame-kun." Said the Shinigami as she smiled and reached up to cup his cheek in her hand before turning to face the other Shinigami. This Shinigami was a few inches taller than her and he had golden blonde spiky hair in the front while the back part was down, stopping at his shoulders.

"Kyōzame said it was urgent. In order to get the woman's soul you need to do what exactly?" asked the blonde haired man as he folded his arms.

"Hello Juza. I need to give him back his dead wife and unborn child. And I was wondering if-"

"She was wondering if you could find out who the wife was and if possible, bring her along with their dead child back to life, otherwise let him see her if that's not possible. She needs this to be done so that she can get that woman's soul; the same woman who has been trying to cheat death for quite a while now." Replied Kyōzame as he stood in between her and Juza.

"I see. I will do what I can. We can't afford to lose souls unnecessarily. I will need to talk to him of course." Said Juza as he looked at her around Kyōzame.

"Of course. Thank you Juza." Replied the female Shinigami as she bowed down slightly to him.

Nikko unconsciously hit Sesshomaru on the chest while she slept and mumbled some strange words in her sleep. She then rolled over, until she was covering Sesshomaru's chest completely as she sucked her thumb. A habit she only did while she was sleeping in a very comfortable position. Sesshomaru ran his hand through her hair and opened an eye to look at her as she clutched her free arm around his neck tightly. He sighed as he sat up slowly, hoping that she would let go when he did this but she didn't. It only caused her to hold on to him tighter. He let out a louder sigh as he carefully pried her arms from around his neck and placed her onto his bed. She immediately grabbed onto his pillow and nuzzled her face into it a few times before settling down some.

After he showered and put on his clothes for work, he was about to open the door to his room when an image of Rin lying in a pool of her own blood, appeared in his mind, making him feel sick to the core. "_Am I destined to forever be tortured by the images of your death My Beloved…_" he thought as he placed his hand on to the knob of his door and opened it. Before he walked out, he remembered that Nikko was still out of school until they finished renovating the classrooms that had been flooded. "Nikko. Wake up. Its morning." He said as he turned his head enough so that he could look at her from out of 

the corner of his eye. She slowly sat up in bed; her eyes were still closed as she reached her arms high above her head while smacking her lips a few times. "Ahhh…Morning daddy…" she said sleepily as she opened her eyes enough, making them appear as slits, and smiled as she slowly got out of his bed, wobbling slightly as she made her way over to him. He watched as she quickly hugged him around his legs and walked pass him out the door, down the hall and into her room, closing the door slowly until it made a soft 'Click!' sound.

As he walked into the living room, he was greeted by three different auras; one being the female Shinigami and two other's that he did not recognize but he realized that they too were Shinigami's. He inwardly sighed, he was tired of having one Shinigami follow him around, but now he had three! "Do Shinigami's find it amusing to be around the living for so long?" he asked as he sat down on the couch and put his hand through his hair, moving away some stray pieces that had found their way in front of his face. The Shinigami with the blonde hair appeared standing in front of him, while the other two appeared behind him; they had their hoods pulled up now. "Quite the miserable one isn't he." Stated Juza as he folded his arms and stared down at Sesshomaru.

"You could say that again…" mumbled the female Shinigami under her breath as she looked down at Sesshomaru as well.

"Why are there more of you? Are one of you alone so weak that you cannot bring back the dead without the help from others?" asked Sesshomaru as his icy glare seemed to make them seep away into the air from its strong intensity.

"Ahem. Well, my name is Juza and the one standing behind me is Kyōzame. She had Kyōzame tell me of her condition with you; about bringing your dead wife and unborn child back to life. In return you better keep your promise of taking her to your mother." Stated Juza as he blinked once.

"This Sesshomaru does not forget his word."

"Very well. Since I was not the one who took your wife to the afterlife, I will need her time of death, the location of her death and the date she died. I understand if you have some searching to-"

"September 29, 2003, Time: 2:07:34AM, Roaring Fountains Avenue 2346, The 2nd Inugami Daiyoukai Mansion."

"I see…Well then…I'll be off now. Come Kyōzame." He said as he disappeared into a void. Kyōzame hesitated as he looked towards the female Shinigami standing next to him. She nodded and said "Go. I will see you soon, don't worry." He nodded in response and disappeared into a void as well.

--•-•--•-•--

Sesshomaru leaned back as he looked out the tinted windows of the limo. He was not going to be going to work today because his father had called him, telling him that there was someone at the mansion that wanted to see him as well as Nikko. He did not know of anyone who might have wanted to see him or even Nikko for that manner. Usually people who wanted to meet him would contact him personally or Jaken and sometimes Inuyasha. Nikko sat next to him holding his hand in her lap as she made small 

irregular shapes in the middle of his palm and leaned her head onto his the side of his arm. She wore a long dark blue velvet dress that rippled at the bottom with white silk cuffs and collar and buttons in the shapes of flowers that went all the way down to the bottom; the long sleeves covered her hands partially and she wore a silver-white knitted sweater that had tiny designs of flowers on it in navy blue. He was about to go back into his thoughts when he felt a tiny finger poke at his side a few times, causing him to look down into hazel brown saucers that brimmed with curiosity. "We are going to the Daiyoukai Mansion Nikko." Said Sesshomaru as he watched her crawl into his lap to look out the window. A tiny squeal escaped from her as she pressed her nose and hands against the window. A sea of evergreen trees could be seen as the limo sped pass them, causing them to appear somewhat blurred. They were travelling very far away from the city and high up into the mountains where it became quite cold. Sesshomaru often bought Nikko to visit his father, but that was when Rin was still alive. When she did see him now, it was when he would visit them at their apartment. "I get to see Grandpa Taisho again! I've missed him a lot daddy! I've missed Grandma Izayoi as well!" she exclaimed as she smiled up at Sesshomaru and leaned up to kiss him on his cheek. The Shinigami was not with them, she seemed to have suddenly disappeared at the last moment. For this, Sesshomaru was very happy.

It was 1:25 in the afternoon when they arrived at the Inugami Daiyoukai mansion. Sesshomaru and Nikko walked out of the limo and towards the large white marble stairs of the mansion. As soon as they were inside, they were greeted immediately by two rows of servants that had lined up on either side of the door. "Welcome back Lord Sesshomaru, Lady Nikko." Came the voices of the servants as they bowed down immediately while they passed. Nikko held onto Sesshomaru's hand and smiled around at everyone, waving at them with her free hand. When they left that room, they were greeted by a fox demon that led them to a large room. "You may go in. Lord Inu no Taisho and Lady Izayoi are waiting." Said the fox demon as she opened the door for them and closed it behind them.

The room was a nice crème color and there were many old Japanese folktale paintings hanging on the walls. Cherry wood furniture filled the room along with a large variety of bonsais. The softness of the white and the brownness of the wood contrasted nicely together with the small hint of green from the plants. Sitting next to each other on a crème colored couch, were Izayoi and Inu no Taisho; they were holding hands and Izayoi had her head resting on her husband's shoulder. Her eyes were extremely dark, seemingly almost black, but they held so much joy and happiness. Her cheeks were a soft rosy pink and her lips had been painted a pale red. Long raven colored hair flowed down her shoulders until it stopped right at her thighs. She wore 7 layers of multicolored kimonos of yellow, green, blue, whit, and the outer one being pink with dark red flowers on it. Inu no Taisho looked just like Sesshomaru, except more muscular and the stripes on his face were blue instead of magenta. His hair was also very long but was put into a ponytail; it being his personal trademark. He wore a kimono similar to Sesshomaru's except that his hakama was a dark blue.

They both stood up as they made their way towards Sesshomaru who held an expressionless gaze and Nikko who was holding onto the end of his sleeve. "My Son! Welcome home!" exclaimed Inu no Taisho as he embraced Sesshomaru in a firm hug. Sesshomaru placed his hands on his father's arms as he said "Nice to see you again Father. I hope you and Izayoi have faired well." Inu no Taisho released him as he stood back to look down at Nikko who was being embraced in a warm hug by Izayoi. She had gotten down onto her knees to hug the little girl. She then let go of Nikko before turning her head towards Sesshomaru as she smiled at him and said "We are doing quite well Sesshomaru. I hope you and Nikko have also faired well." Nikko was now in the arms of Inu no Taisho who was spinning around in circles as he hugged her tightly.

"We are doing find Grandma Izayoi." Replied Nikko as she peeked over Inu no Taisho's shoulder and smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Indeed. Now I told you before you came that someone wanted to see you and Nikko." Said Inu no Taisho as he placed Nikko back onto the ground and watched as she skipped off to another part of the room.

"Whom might this person be?" asked Sesshomaru as he waited impatiently for his father's response.

"You are not going to like it."

"I trust your opinion Father; however, I would like to be the judge of that."

"Very well my son. Nikko, come. There's someone here who wants to meet you."

"Someone who wants to meet me? Who is it Grandpa Taisho?" asked Nikko as she ran over to them and took Sesshomaru's hand in hers as she clasped them together.

"You will see in a moment little one." He said as he led them to a large black wooden door. He opened it and let them inside, before closing the door behind him. "_God have mercy on that man, for when Sesshomaru finds out who he is, he will surely kill him…_" he thought as he let out a loud sigh. Izayoi walked over to him and placed her hand onto his shoulder as she whispered "Do not worry My Love. Let us wait to see what happens." Inu no Taisho smiled as he let out another sigh and wrapped an arm around Izayoi, placing a kiss on her forehead.


End file.
